Agree on many points made in the blog, article, and on the board. Let me try to summarize my thoughts:

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Roethlisberger is a punk who needs to be knocked down a peg or two.

I would have to agree with this. Sorry, but it happens to many in positions of wealth, status, and/or power. A suspension might actually be the best thing for Ben, IMO. Not great for the team's record, but perhaps good for Ben.

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Is it any surprise that young millionaire athletes might be a bit cocky? That any humility shown is merely a practiced response?

Yes...but that does not mean that the Steelers should endorse that attitude or behavior. And eventually, jackasses usually get it where they've been stickin' it, and I'd rather see Ben have an adjustment before he causes himself and the team permanent problems.

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Saw that.

I found his argument... unconvincing at best. He's a lawyer? And he doesn't really seem to discuss the case per se, moreso the setting and tactics.

I dunno, call me old fashioned. I still prefer things like... what actually happened... the way those facts will be interpreted under the law... etc.

This guy makes the whole thing sound like who can throw on more window dressing.

Again, the article may be based on legal knowledge, but he's speculating more than Jack McCoy does. It's a guessing game that could happen, but who knows?

On the other hand, he is right that it looks as if this thing is not going to clear up quickly on either side. EVERYONE has lawyered up; and I would not be shocked to hear that photo op cop tries to get one as well. Sorry to offend, LC, but once the lawyers get involved, you're looking at a long, drawn-out process.

This guy is offering a legal analysis, but very few facts.

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Steigerwald acts like he just found out that the Tooth Fairy ain't real.

And there is the problem.

We've all heard the implications that Ben thinks his s*** doesn't stink. I've read posts and heard rumors and listened to commentators that implied Ben loves to bend over and kiss his own arse. We've speculated about this on this very board. I have no firsthand knowledge, but I've seen behaviors and attitudes that have made me think it may be the case.

I believe that the incident in GA backs up my speculation. But again, I was not there and I have yet to hear anything that I could call a "fact" about what actually happened.

As Puma mentions, sounds like "piling on" when you can get away with it. Why was no one pursuing this as a story on Jan. 8, 2009 if there was any truth to it? Why the speculation about Ben hitting the chronic or some other substance? If Steigerwald is a "journalist" then why did he ignore this until he got a blog?

Blogs are designed to be strictly opinion, and they have absolutely no boundaries. My beef is that these are not opinions so much as they are insinuations. Steigs HINTS that he has facts but doesn't produce any real ones. If you think Ben is a jackass, then just leave it at that.

I guess I'm just kind of in the middle on all of this. Glad I could clear that up.

You go to Latrobe, you're not getting Ben's signature on a jersey. Is he aloof? Unapproachable? A snot?

Well, you didn't get Bettis's sig, either. And I seem to recall Bettis being accused of some sexual assualt once upon a time. Anyone remember how that turned out?

I'm trying to figure out where all the pent-up Ben hatred comes from, and I think it's rampant constipation resulting shit backup and copremia. Little bits of turds work their way into the bloodstream and are carried into people's brains, where they set up turd parties with other turd flecks and wait until something bad happens to one of the most famous players in the sport. Then, they can feel better about being shitheads by listening to the shit in their heads spout forth all their shitty little shithead ideas about whatever the fuck pieces of shit living in your brain froth and stew about in anger and envy.

Let's just say, for example, that Ben winds up being innocent of the worst of all this in both cases, some borderline bad judgement about situations and exposure notwithstanding. Are we allowed to duct tape Steigerwald to the pavement and run over him with a steamroller? Can we then peel up the bits of Steigerwald jerky and feed them to gulls, and sing Pearl Jam songs in pig Latin? Are these things not fair and sensible?

Back to this Make-A-Wish kid thing... who's to say that the family of the kid didn't get led on by someone claiming to be from the Make-A-Wish organization and Ben was never formally notified from the organization about someone wanting to meet him as their dying wish. Or not even anything as devious as that... what if the person at MAW couldn't set up the meeting with Ben and to save face for the organization and his or herself they put the blame back on Ben.

You can't believe everything one person tells you especially in an email where you can't read a person's face and body language to help you determine if they're lying.

Technically it has to have three sides. A two-sided pancake is an impossibilty in a 3-dimensional universe. So there's her side, ben's side, and steigerwald's side, which I guess must be thought of as the edge giving the pancake its third dimension, depth, and therefore plausibility in this time-space continuum.